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Americans for Prosperity-Michigan today kicked off a citizen education effort aimed at turning up the grassroots heat on Sen. Debbie Stabenow. The group rolled out the project with an in-depth survey of 600 voters registered in Michigan that highlights how Sen. Stabenow’s legislative record is at odds with citizens’ top concerns. Visit http://www.ThanksALotDebbie.com to view the complete poll results.

“It is no surprise that the economy, jobs, and high energy prices are top concerns for people in Michigan,” said Scott Hagerstrom, director of Americans for Prosperity-Michigan. “It is surprising that Sen. Stabenow has chosen time and time again to oppose policies that citizens believe would help Michigan’s economy and support policies that citizens think would harm our economy.”

The group’s education effort, which will be centered around the tagline “Thanks A Lot, Debbie…” features a website, http://www.ThanksALotDebbie.com, and will encompass a mix of new media tactics, paid media, and grassroots activities. Flights of paid media, including outdoor boards, radio and direct mail, will begin by mid-April. The group plans to spend around half a million on the project.

“We’ll be educating and activating citizens on Sen. Stabenow’s legislative record when it comes to issues such as the Keystone pipeline, cut, cap and balance, and the national debt ceiling,” said Hagerstrom. “We want to challenge her to embrace policies that will promote greater economic freedom and prosperity for Michigan and our nation.”

Hagerstrom noted that the results of the survey conducted by national pollster Kellyanne Conway not only underscore how Sen. Stabenow’s legislative record is out-of-touch with citizens’ views, but also will provide a research-based roadmap for upcoming phases of the group’s project. Here are some highlights:

The Economy (33%), Jobs/Unemployment (32%), Health Care (16%), and Gas Prices/Affordable Energy (16%) topped the list of concerns respondents said they would address.

74% of respondents thought that approval of the Keystone XL pipeline would “mostly help” Michigan’s economy. Sen. Stabenow voted against amendments last week that would have set the pipeline project in motion.

72% of respondents thought raising the national debt ceiling limit above the current level would “mostly hurt” Michigan’s economy. In 2004 Sen. Stabenow called raising the debt ceiling “immoral” and “fiscally irresponsible.” In 2011 she said, “Well there has to be a compromise. We have to get this done so that the country doesn’t default,” ultimately voting against the Cut, Cap and Balance Act of 2011 and voting in support of the Budget Control Act, which raised the debt ceiling.

Hagerstrom noted that the results of the survey conducted by national pollster Kellyanne Conway not only underscore how Sen. Stabenow’s legislative record is out-of-touch with citizens’ views, but also will provide a research-based roadmap for upcoming phases of the group’s project. Here are some highlights:

“Citizens clearly have strong views about the critical issues facing our state and our nation, and generally favor greater economic freedom as the true path toward prosperity,” Hagerstrom concluded. “Our goal with this education effort is to help citizens make the connection between their views and Sen. Stabenow’s legislative record. We want to turn up the grassroots heat on Sen. Stabenow to encourage her to start supporting policies that will help, not harm our prosperity.”

Americans for Prosperity-Michigan is a statewide organization of 69,000 activists committed to strengthening our constitutional government, establishing fiscal restraint, and giving taxpayers greater control over government. We are dedicated to recruiting, training, educating and motivating grassroots activists to be effective in their own communities. Americans for Prosperity does not support or oppose candidates for public office.